Greece's Aigaion frigate.
9-20 November Port visit for the Blue Whale NATO Exercise.
Aksaz Naval Base is one of the most famous military ports in the Mediterranean. It is our source of pride for Turkish maritime.
You cannot find its entrance with the naked eye. It is superbly protected.
And it is directly opposite Rhodes, at a distance of 50 miles.
When we received the news that the Greek frigate with board number F-460 would come to Aksaz;
This sentence came to me:
“Now make a decision, dear neighbor...
Besides, you are coming. Besides, you're always tense..."
That's right...
It comes to "friendship exercises" through NATO.
But on the other hand, it arms the islands and creates tremendous tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Consider that;
Exercise Blue Whale will be held in the Eastern Mediterranean. The purpose of the exercise, in which Spanish ships from NATO's permanent naval force will also participate, is explained as follows:
“To improve coordination between aircraft, surface ships and submarines in anti-submarine warfare to detect and track submarines.”
This is the goal, but is the implementation like that?
The Greek Frigate that will arrive at Marmaris Aksaz Naval Base.
LOOK AT WHAT THEY DID JUST TWO MONTHS AGO
He is coming for submarine, sea and air coordination in the friendship exercise in November.
But look what he was doing 1 month ago? Here are a few examples:
GUIDED MISSILE IN MEIS
Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis is coming to Meis Island on 12-13 September. He goes to the guided missile attack boat in the port and gives an image to the press.
The Greek Chief of General Staff visits the military watchtowers located on the islets of Hupis, Ro and Strogyli.
A military equipment exhibition will be held on Samos Island on September 18. Military units in Lesbos.
And dozens more examples like this.
However, the arming of the islands is against Lausanne.
But he is arming them openly.
Marine National Parks declares.
He constantly conducts shooting exercises on transit routes.
There is more.
He is openly lobbying against Turkey's F-35 orders.
It does the same thing in maritime jurisdictions.
In short, it is constantly stretching.
And now he is coming to Marmaris for the "Friendship Exercise".
What will we understand from this?
Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis is at the surveillance post on Ro Island, 5 kilometers away from Turkey, on September 13.
KANUNI'S MARMARIS EXPEDITION
Of course, when Marmaris is mentioned, those years of fear come to mind.
Fatih's campaigns.
The arrival of Suleiman the Magnificent to Marmaris in 1522. From there to Rhodes by ship. Those amazing expeditions.
In that expedition, Suleiman the Magnificent captured Rhodes and went to Marmaris again.
Marmaris and Aksaz ports have such a history.
But that's history.
For some reason, this "fear of history" never goes away.
Or the desire to use this date and cast nationalist votes never goes away.
However, now I know very well that; I saw many times in the islands I visited;
People on both sides of the Aegean are friendly to each other. Fishermen save each other's nets.
While there are "Continental Shelf" crises, Turkish and Greek fishermen eat "fish on a plate" in the middle of the sea.
We are always welcomed on the islands we visit.
So there is no problem between people. Moreover, the tradesmen of the nearby islands earn large income from Turkish tourists and sailors.
Islands that should have non-military status according to Lausanne.
MONEY GOES TO WEAPONS
Of course, there is also an economic dimension to the event.
The two countries have purchased billions of dollars worth of weapons for years because of these fears, stubbornness and provocations.
The sweat of the people went to these weapons. But in the last 15-20 years, Türkiye has experienced a complete nationalization revolution in its defense industry. Now it produces warships, equipment and weapon systems itself. It will launch the aircraft carrier in 2027. Türkiye has made tremendous progress with its UAVs, UCAVs, domestic submarines, missiles and torpedoes. It has now reached the point where it can export the warships it produces.
The domestic rate in production reached 90 percent.
Thus, Türkiye no longer gives money abroad.
But Greece still continues to purchase weapons from abroad.
And the sweat of the Greek people is going away in vain.
However, if only the Aegean truly turned into a sea of friendship.
If only the ministers of tourism, environment and forestry, not the ministers of defense, would make agreements for the Aegean.
Of course the people will win.
I hope that Greek politicians will also see the reality of Turkish national naval power that Greek sailors will see in this exercise.
